As the 2013-2014 school year comes to a close, preparations have already been made for the 2014-2015 seasons. I thought I might share a few new things on the horizon for Quarrier athletics. Some of these are still in the works, but as we head into our “off-seasons,” it’s fun to look ahead at next year.

Cheerleading: Be prepared for an all new look on the sidelines and mat as the girls will be looking to get new uniforms. Coach Richael is in the process of holding tryouts for her squads for next year, and along with that she is carefully searching for that perfect new look to outfit the girls. Another change for ’14-’15 will be the possibility of creating one larger basketball cheer squad that cheers for both boys and girls.

Boys Golf: Not much looks to change for the linksters next year, and that is definitely a good trend as our boys will be the defending state champs. One change at the state level is that no two teammates can be in a group together at the state tournament. The state tournament will head west of the river to Hot Springs next fall, but with the boys we have returning and the number of rounds they log in the summer, I expect Coach Hoglund and the boys will have a real shot at a repeat.

Cross Country: Other than a slight order shift of Class AA races at the state meet, not much will change for our runners next year. Coach Hegge will get the girls and boys in the weight room and out running on the roads in July, and it won’t be long until that first practice on August 18. The runners will head back up to Huron in October for the state meet where we hope to make a little noise.

Volleyball: There will be several changes to the DRHS volleyball landscape next fall. Coaches Reimnitz and Schrecegost have both stepped down so the process is underway to find their replacements. As with Cheer, the volleyball squad is up in the rotation for new uniforms and will show those off the last Saturday in August at the Canton Tourney. The SDHSAA has also made a few state-wide changes such as tweaking the 20 – minute warm up time, allowing a player to play seven instead of five sets, and changing the practice start date to Thursday, August 14.

Football: After at least a dozen years, the boys will be donning new uniforms in ’14-’15 which they will display at the season opener vs. Madison, August 29. That date is a change as Dells has had our bye on the first week for many years in the past, but next season we will have that second Friday off. Otherwise, not much else will change next year as we are in the second year of two-year contracts. The SDHSAA is looking at a revamp in the football classification system, but as of now, nothing has been decided for sure. Coach Hansen and the boys will start Accelereation the beginning of June and hopefully, that pays off with another late season run to the Dome.

Wrestling: Coach Jorgensen and the boys will hit the mats the middle of November with very few changes. The first Saturday in December will be our Top of the Rock Tournament, and Dells will be the site of the Dakota XII tournament later on in the winter. With the generosity of the Youth Wrestling Boosters and the DRHS Booster Club, we are looking at purchasing a third mat that can be set up in the MS Commons. Statewide, the Association is moving toward the use of a universal stats program, and the SDHSAA has set a few guidelines about the number of matches it takes to acquire a seed at the state tournament.

Girls Basketball: As with volleyball the amount that a bb player can participate has gone up. The “quarter rule” which was set at six per night has gone up to seven. With the players we have returning, I am looking forward to tipping off practice bright and early on that Monday of Thanksgiving week. We have moved the McCook game up earlier in the season, but besides that not much will be new. The playoff system of Regions will stay the same with the state tournament landing in Watertown next March.
Boys Basketball: The boys, too, will be able to play seven quarters instead of six. Also, and I didn’t mention it with the GBB, but all Class A basketball teams are waiting for the Board of Directors to make a final decision on the shot clock. It really looks like we are still a year away from seeing it implemented in our Class. Schedule wise, the boys will not play Cheyenne-Eagle Butte this year but rather added Duebrook that last week of the season. Coach Fersdahl and the boys will hit the hardwood for their first practice on December 1.

Track: Coach Fiedler and Coach Putnam are in the middle of their seasons right now and working hard to deal with less than great weather conditions thus far. Both the boys and girls qualifiers will run Pre-Lims for the state meet at Madison this year and then finish up May 31 at Howard Wood Field. There are no new changes coming down from the SDHSAA for ’14-’15, but locally, we are looking at updating our high jump pit next year or the year after.

Girls Golf: The girls golfers and I, like the track teams, are fighting the good fight against our lousy weather this spring. Our state tournament qualifiers will head to Spearfish for the state meet this year and then be in Madison in ‘14-’15. The SDHSAA changes mentioned earlier for the boys will hold true for the lady linksters as well. Also, the Association is looking at moving the entire girl’s season one week later in search of better weather conditions.

I hope to see you all at our All-Sport Athletic Awards Night at 6:30 on Friday, May 9. Have a safe and relaxing summer - and see you at a game next fall!